The use of buffers to maintain a pH and solubilize or dilute active pharmaceutical agents (“APIs”) before administration (e.g., by injection) is routine. Many buffers, however, contain components that maintain a neutral pH and foster microbial growth, which can lead to sepsis and other undesirable infection-related complications.
Gram negative bacteria are a particularly troublesome class of microbes, as they are commonplace in the hospital environments and difficult to eradicate and/or control. Infections with this class of bacteria tend to have higher morbidity/mortality rates when a patient becomes septic, in part, because gram negative bacteria are especially difficult organisms to treat. Also, gram negative bacteria are associated with water contamination which can occur with chronic indwelling catheters such as used with intravenous administration. Hence, there is a need for buffer systems that have anticidal activity with specificity to gram negative bacteria.